


Missed Moments

by Sinclaironfire



Series: Duck Feels [4]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Donald Duck is a good parent, Donald Duck is a single parent, Donald is having none of Scrooge's attitude, Donald is the best, Donald is the parent who tapes everything, Family Bonding, I finally learned what a word limit is!, I swear it, Scrooge cries, Scrooge has missed out on a lot, Scrooge is a bit of a grump, You don't need a water proof pillow here, aren't you proud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12376398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinclaironfire/pseuds/Sinclaironfire
Summary: Scrooge missed out on the boys hatching, seeing them take their first steps, and birthdays and holidays. It’s a good thing Donald was handy with a video camera.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Did I finally write fluff for once? Yes, I did. Also, if you like what I've written, come check out my original stuff with the link below!
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763HTM2N

 

“Please Uncle Donald, please Uncle Donald, please, please, please, please!”

That was what Donald Duck came home to when he arrived from the bank. His three boys, on their knees, begging to go see a movie that he knew absolutely nothing about.

“It’s going to be an awesome movie!” said Dewey, “There’s gonna be monsters and everything!”

“Yeah, these monsters come up from the toilets and its super gross!” Louie added, pretending to gag and turn into a monster. He jumped on Dewey and as the two rough-housed in the foyer, Huey tugged on Donald’s sleeve and showed a poster of the movie on his phone.

“It’s playing tonight at eight. I know its short notice but can we go?”

“Whoa, hold up, what kind of movie is this?” Donald asked as he pulled Dewey and Louie apart.

“Mole-monsters!” They excitedly cheered.

“Wait, I’ve seen this movie before.” Donald said, “This came out in, what? The eighties?”

“It’s a reboot!” explained Dewey.

“Everything old is cool again!” laughed Louie.

“Please, can we go see it?” asked Huey.

“Who’s idea is this?” Donald asked, still not convinced.

“Webby’s friend,” said Louie.

“Uh-huh,” Donald crossed his arms. “Is this Webby’s friend, Sabina whose Uncle only speaks Swedish?”

“No. She’s real,” Dewey defended.

“Yeah, look.” Huey held up his phone again to show him photos. “See? There we are at the beach, on the canoe, and here’s one of us making funny faces.”

Donald took the phone and reviewed the photos. The other girl with pink in her hair seemed friendly enough and Webby was a good kid. She didn’t seem prone to making bad judgment calls when it came to friends.

“Who’s taking you there?”

“Well, Launchpad is driving us but Mrs. Beakley is coming too.”

Two adults were better than one. If Beakley was with the boys and Launchpad was coming as a back-up, he felt better that the boys wouldn’t get into too much trouble. “Alright, you can go.”

“YES!” the boys cheered.

“You wanna come along, Uncle Donald?” asked Huey. “It should be fun!”

“Sorry boys, but I’ve got some work to take care of. Have fun at the movies.”

“We will Uncle Donald,” they chorused before racing off and chanting, “Movie night! Movie night! Movie night!”

 

Donald went to his bedroom, carrying the small but heavy box underneath his arms. It could finally have a quiet night to himself and catch up on some very important, never to be delayed again work. Though, if he sat down and really thought about it, what he was doing wasn’t really work but more like a labor of love. Inside the box, there were photos, videos, snapshots, little bits of childhood that he managed to save and preserve over the years.

It was everything that Della would want to see when she came back.

Carefully, he removed the bits and pieces that made up his boys’ life. He couldn’t believe how fast they were growing up. The only valuable parts in his life that he kept on the houseboat were Huey, Louie, and Dewey. Everything else was replaceable. The boys weren’t and neither were the baby photos or home movies or anything else that marked their first steps in life. Pulling out his laptop, Donald got to work. With the utmost care, he started editing the latest video. This time it was of their triumph return from Atlantis.

It was the boys’ first proper adventure. Della would want to know everything.

He copied and pasted the new video onto the more than ten-hour film he’d already developed. It was the complete highlights of everything he’d captured the boys doing. He hit the play button. Donald fondly looked over the boys’ first small steps in the world only to be interrupted by the distinct sound of Scottish swears.

“DONALD!” Scrooge burst into the bedroom without knocking.

“What?” he dully asked.

“Where’s Beakley?” Scrooge snapped. “I’ve been calling for her for a blasted half an hour and she hasn't responded.”

Donald looked at his clock. It was eight. Mrs. Beakley and the children would be settling into the movie. “She took the kids out, Uncle Scrooge,” Donald said.

“Then where’s Launchpad? I need to speak to him about our next adventure, I-“

“Launchpad went with the kids too. They wanted to go see a movie.”

“What?” Scrooge asked, aghast. “It’s a perfect night out and they want to stay in the dark and see some movie when we could be exploring?”

“They’re children. Movies are fun.”

“Adventure is fun!” Scrooge argued.

“When was the last time you saw a movie?” Donald suddenly asked.

His Uncle scowled. “I’m aware of what a film is.”

“I’ll take that as it’s been a couple of years,” he chuckled. Donald shut his laptop and put the boys’ things away. “Come on, we’re going to watch a movie.”

“What?” Scrooge squawked. “I’ve got things that need to be planned. I don’t have time to waste a movie.”

“You do for this one,” Donald answered, guiding his uncle to one of the living rooms. He set up his laptop to the television while Scrooge sat on the massive couch and crossed his arms. “This is stupid. Do you know what I could be doing right now?”

“Bellowing for Mrs. B?” Donald fired back as he made sure everything was set up right. “I’m gonna grab some popcorn and soda. You want any?”

Scrooge scowled and Donald nodded. “I’ll grab you some anyway.” He hit the play button and walked out.

“What is this?” Scrooge asked, narrowing his eyes as the movie started to play. “What am I watching?”

“Ah, shut up and watch it,” Donald shouted as he walked away. Honesty, his uncle could be stubborn sometimes. Now, where did Beakley keep the popcorn?

Scrooge sat and sulked on the couch. An evening wasted – what a shame. He looked up at the screen. The movie took place in a hospital’s maternity ward. The camera movement was shaky and he could hear the cameraman breathing. “Great, not even a B-movie.”

The scene focused on an egg. Tiny cracks appeared and in moments a little chick was crying. The cameraman laughed a little which was accompanied by a sob. “Hi…oh hi! Hubert!” Donald’s voice cracked. “Welcome to the world little guy.”

Scrooge froze and gasped. “No…”

The video switched to two other eggs. The timing was close but the egg on the right hatched before the egg in the middle. Donald’s voice at this point was gone completely. He was crying. Scrooge was crying too. He had a terrible habit of being in the wrong place at the right time. He missed his niece and nephew being born. He missed his great-nephews being born after Della….

But he was here now.

“Oh good, I’m just in time for the boys’ first bath,” Donald said, as he reentered the living room.

Scrooge acknowledged Donald with a sniffle. Donald sat down on the couch. “Oh, yeah, I brought tissues, just in case.”

Scrooge wordlessly took a tissue and blew loudly. “How did…?”

“I didn’t want Della to miss a thing and you missed everything.”

His uncle flinched though his tone wasn’t accusatory. It was just fact. He did miss out on everything.

“How long is the film?”

Donald laughed. “This is one part one of a ten-part series. You wanna watch the rest?”

Scrooge nodded. He didn’t want to miss a single thing.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scrooge watched the boys grow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing too serious here. Just an old man watching his family.

 

Sleep was a fickle thing. Some nights, Scrooge could barely touch his pillow and fall asleep instantly. Other nights, he would stay awake, maybe read a book before sleep finally claimed him. But then there were nights like this, where his leg would ache and no matter what position he took, he would find himself wide awake and unable to rest.

The pain in his leg was really all in his head. He knew it was in his head but try telling that to his leg.

Scrooge grumbled and flipped onto his side. He curled up tighter against his pillow and blanket. He shut his eyes and waited for sleep to come. Instead, he was met with a dull throb in his skull that traveled down his spine and made its home in his leg. The pain was as steady as his heartbeat.

Scrooge tossed and turned. The pain became more profound. The constant pulsating pain was too much for one person to bear. It settled in his skull, right behind his eyes. It paralyzed him as it covered his entire back before it crippled his already bad leg. Scrooge laid in his bed in agony.

A quiet sigh escaped him. It seemed no matter how badly he wanted to, he wasn’t going to sleep tonight.

And so, he closed his eyes again and strained his ears. If he listened carefully, he could hear the rest of the manor’s inhabitants. Gentle snoring eased through the doors and walls. He could hear Donald in the room next to his. The boys were across the hall but he couldn’t tell which murmurs and midnight talks belonged to whom.

“They’re here, old man,” he whispered. “They’re here.”

The pain improved. It still didn’t feel real that Donald and the boys were living in his home. After what happened with Della, he didn’t think that he would see the rest of his family again. Thoughts of being left alone in his tomb of a manor house swirled about his mind. The pain worsened. His family was fractured.

“Don’t go there,” he told himself. “You can’t go there.”

But where else could his thoughts go? His family was fractured. He hadn’t seen them in years. Donald and the boys were the first bits of his extended family that he’d been in contact with. And now they were actually living with him! Inside the manor!

He could hear them sleeping. He would see them in the morning for breakfast. He would see them playing and running about the massive grounds with Webby.

There would be _life_ again in the desolate manor.

With that comforting thought, the pain that enfeebled him was alleviated. He sighed and forced himself to set up in bed. His leg cooperated with him to put on his robe and to grab his cane. But from there on out it was a struggle.

Scrooge limped to the living room. Each step made it feel like his leg was on fire. Eventually, he hobbled his way and made it. Scrooge all but collapsed onto the sofa. He grabbed one of the throw blankets. He wrapped himself up before nestling into the pillows of the sofa. Everything was soft and warm. Scrooge held the remote and maneuvered to the DVD. Donald kept the home movies online for easy access. With a few clicks, the years he missed appeared before him in crystal clear HD.

His favorite part was the hospital. The camera in Donald’s hand was shaky. Though, Scrooge guessed if he was in his place, he’d wouldn’t be relaxed at all. The camera shifted and suddenly, there they were! His great-nephews. Donald was sobbing.

 _“Hi…oh hi! Hubert!”_ Donald’s voice cracked.

“Welcome to the world little guy,” Scrooge recited. He knew every sentence by heart. It was almost like he was there. He watched and Dewey and Louie hatched. They were so tiny. Their crying broke his heart. Of course, Donald managed to hold all three. He sat down in an oversized chair in their nursery and smiled into the camera as he rocked them.

“I could have held one…” Scrooge murmured. “Or two…”

He could have held Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The scene in the nursery switched to Donald’s home. It was in the bathroom. Three little chicks in a bathtub that seemed ridiculously huge. Scrooge couldn’t get over how tiny they were. They were just so tiny and the world was so big. The months passed in a haze of smiles, laughter, and baby-sized temper tantrums. And soon, the children were crawling everywhere. The boys raced everywhere. Donald fumbled with the camera. He awkwardly held it before turning it onto a new face.

“Here’s Uncle Gladstone.”

“Geez, ‘uncle’…” his impossibly lucky nephew nervously laughed as he held one of the boys. “You’re makin’ me sound old, cuz. Heh, next thing you know I’ll be dressed up like Scrooge and –“ Gladstone’s anxiety driven smile disappeared. “Sorry about that, D-Man. I didn’t…um who am I holding?” He held up the baby chick to the light like he was a dollar bill. “Dewey?”

“You’re holding Louie.”

“How the fu-“

“Don’t,” Donald warned. “Not with the kids.”

“Going all parental, aren’t cha? How the fuuuudge can you tell? These little beans look the same to me.”

“You can’t tell the difference?”

“They’re triplets, man!” Gladstone answered. “They look the same.”

“They look nothing alike! Look at them.”

“I am,” answered Gladstone.

“No, really look at them.” Donald set the camera on the table. He entered the scene with Dewey and Huey in his arms. “Can’t you see it? Huey’s got a thinner neck, Dewey’s got bigger eyes, and Louie’s bill looks slightly crooked when he frowns.”

“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “But I’ll take your word for it. You know, you might wanna consider getting them color coded or something so other people stand a chance. Huey can be red, Dewey can rock blue, and this little bean can be green! Like me! Isn’t that right, green bean?”

“Don’t corrupt the kids.”

“You say corruption, I say enrichment,” Gladstone smirked. 

 

Gladstone was, shockingly, a constant presence in the boys early years. For all of Donald’s resentment to his cousin’s supernatural good luck, he was fine to leave him in the presence of the boys. Gladstone, to his credit, seemed to handle the boys well in his usual arrogant way but not without some minor hiccups.

“Donald, stop laughing and help me!” Gladstone whined as the boys’ toddler screeching was overheard. Donald was too busy recording everything. “I gave them pinwheels! But they don’t want pinwheels!” Gladstone wailed.

Donald could barely stop laughing. Gladstone rushed over, the camera tumbled from Donald’s hand, and suddenly, all Scrooge could see were Donald’s and Gladstone’s feet.

“Why aren’t you helping me?” He moaned. “I don’t know what they want!”

“It’s code!” Donald wheezed out, his laughter still contagious. “For lollypops! You went out and bought two-hundred pinwheels when they wanted lollypops!”

Gladstone then slumped to the floor. His hands covered his face. “I hate you so much D-Man.”

“I hate you too Gladdy.”

 

Thing changed but Donald stayed the same. He was still there to capture every precious moment that Della and he missed. Scrooge watched as the years passed him by. The boys grew up in the blink of an eye. He missed it all. The scene shifted again and this time it was of the boys, Webby, Launchpad, Donald, and him. He was there too!

“The boys’ first adventure!” Donald’s voice-over cheered. “They went to Atlantis with their Uncle Scrooge. They fought assassins, found lost treasure, and everyone went home a better person. We’re living at Uncle Scrooge’s place now, Della. He’s going to teach them how to get into trouble like he did with us. It’s going to be something else. I’ll keep recording. I love you, sis!”


End file.
